From First Kisses to Last Wishes
by Chick Flicks- Rock 'N' Roll
Summary: My idea of what really happened between Jess and Rory starting from the end of Season 2. First GG fanfic, please R&R.
1. Just Wanted To

**A/N:** This is my first GG ff. I am starting off from_ I Can't Get Started_ in Season 2, Jess and Rory's First kiss episode. This is just my take on how take on how things would have gone from there.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gilmore Girls. I do not own Jess Mariano. Amy Sherman-Palladino is a genius, and we should all worship her.

**BG:** Jess and Rory were becoming friends and Luke had convinced Rory to tutor Jess so he wouldn't have to repeat the 11th grade. She agreed (because Rory can't turn anyone down) and attempted to help him. After going out for an ice cream, Jess swerved off the road to avoid hitting a small animal, crashing Rory's car. Jess left town afterwards, leaving a very confused, and broken armed Rory. 

Chapter One- Just Wanted To

Maury had been playing the piano, catering to a drunken Babette's need for back-up music. Dean was hiding in a coat closet in the Inn, as Patti was wildly running around asking for "that pretty tall one, with the good hair". Christopher was walking down a pathway, talking to a very disheveled Sherry, and Lorelai was giggling over martinis with her mother. Suki was dressed in a beautiful white floral dress, in the kitchen as always, fretting about the daffodils on her wedding cake.

It was Suki's wedding day, and the entire town was at the inn, some inebriated, and some running from the inebriated. Lorelai had told Emily that she and Christopher were back together. At the same time, Chris had taken Rory down the little path behind the inn, discussing her family getting back together. After Rory reiterated that Chris had to be serious about this relationship, his phone rang and he headed towards the bridge to answer. 

As her father drifted off into the distance, an unexpected guest was revealed. In a small field behind the path, Jess Mariano stood with his hands tucked away in his tired leather jacket. Smirking at Rory, he knew she would come to question him.

"She's gorgeous. The way her tiny thin legs scurry under that blue dress. She looked absolutely stunning, just for this wedding. This wedding that she's probably at with Dean." Jess continued to think, finally remembering that Rory wasn't his girl, that she didn't love him. All of a sudden, coming here didn't sound like such a good idea.

"What are you doing here?" Rory managed to spit out, stuttering. 

"Hello to you too" Jess continued his smug attitude. He had always been wonderful at using his attitude to cover up his real feelings.

"Is everything ok?" What was Rory supposed to say? He had disappeared in the middle of the night, and all of a sudden he was back in Stars Hollow, the place he hated most?

"You look nice" He stated the obvious, while also avoiding her questions. He wasn't okay. He was falling for the giant boy scout's girlfriend.

"Thank you." She blushed, trying to hide her embarrassment. Jess was so mean and closed off from other people, but he was so sweet to her.

"What are you doing here?" Rory was flabbergasted and was trying to get out of the girly feelings taking over her. Jess had complemented her and now she couldn't seem to use her muscles.

"I moved back." Jess said, using that cool boy monosyllabic response of his.

"What?" She couldn't think of anything else to say. He had hated this town so much, hated everyone in it, and he _chose_ to come back?

"I moved back" he took a page out of Rory's book, repeating his replies to run away from the real answer.

"But…what?...why?" little miss complete oxford dictionary couldn't come up with her own words over one syllable now.

"Just wanted to." Jess pushed the subject off, not really wanting to discuss the reasons he had to come back. The reasons he ran away from New York City, the freest place on the Eastern Seaboard. 

Rory stared blankly for some five seconds before lunging at his face. Hands grasping at his torso, pulling him into the kiss. She's so into him and the way he feels, before Jess can even react. His lips are so soft, she never would have expected that. Jess was a tough boy, and tough boys have rough lips, right? He finally realized what was happening and raised his hands to her face. Rory's skin was perfect and Jess felt terrible rubbing his callused hands all over her.

Jess slid his hands down to Rory's thin waist in milliseconds, but to them it felt as slow and memorable as any kiss. While Jess let his large hands take over her the small of her back, she pushed her hands higher up his back, gaining control and pulling him dangerously close to her. He could feel her quickened pulse throughout her body, and it perfectly matched his. He felt like everything was perfect, a small perfect moment.

As soon as it had begun, it was over. Rory used her leverage to push herself away from Jess. It had all been so tempting, so intense, so wrong. But it felt right, it all fit together. No, this couldn't feel good, being with Jess was wrong. For goodness' sake she was at this wedding with Dean. Dean, her boyfriend!

"Oh my god. Oh my god." She kept muttering to herself. There were no words that could fix this, no words that could express everything she was feeling.

"Rory…" it slipped from Jess' lips. It was half question and half plea. He wanted her, he needed her. But he knew what they had done, and how terrible she must feel. He had to be there for her. 

"Don't say a word!" Her words were urgent, but in somewhat hushed tones. It was demand, or a question, it was pure begging. She sounded like a sad puppy, a puppy who knew he wasn't supposed to chew the shoes, but they just tasted so good!

"Ok" Jess didn't know how to comfort her and not hurt himself at this point.

"I have to go." She spat out, convincing herself it was true.

She began to turn around, running back towards the wedding, her family, and her boyfriend. As she ran back to the inn, she swung her head back at Jess.

"Oh, welcome home!" and she said those words as if they hadn't kissed, as if he had just walked back into Luke's Diner.

Jess stood in the same place as Rory ran to the path, stayed there while she walked back up the path, and still couldn't leave. He kissed Rory Gilmore, the girl he'd been longing for since he got to the asylum they called Stars Hollow. Even better was that she kissed him, meaning she wanted him. His smile continued to grow from his smirk to a beaming smile from ear to ear. But suddenly he remembered how upset she had looked. No matter how much she had wanted to kiss Jess, she was hurting on the inside. She had hurt Dean, and Rory didn't hurt anyone. Now all of these feelings were whirring around through Jess's body, a strange surge of energy.

He walked a few feet behind him and came to the bay of the lake. Kicking off his boots and removing his James Dean leather jacket, Jess laid himself out of the shore and dipped his feet in the cold water. He rolled his pants up to his knees, letting his legs slip into the water. The lake had been his sanctuary in Stars Hollow. After Luke had pushed him in, he found out that the water melted his troubles out of his head. They never disappeared completely, but while he was is the cold pure water, Jess was free.

Rory sprinted all the way up the path and over the bridge, hoping that the wind in her hair and the sharp breeze on her face would take it all off of her mind. As she approached the top of the hill, she saw her mother waiting to walk down the aisle. They had a wedding to be in. Lorelai looked puffy-eyed and somber, and Rory instinctly thought of something to cheer her, or at least take her mind off of whatever was ruining her good make up.

"I think I'm going to Washington." She spit out, remembering one normal thing that had happened today.

"Good" was all Lorelai had the strength to reply.

They walked down the hill in blue dresses, down towards the rest of the wedding. As Rory looked at the priest and all of the guests, she laid eyes on Dean. Her boyfriend, her Prince as Paris insisted on calling him. Rory went through with the wedding, tearing up during Suki and Jackson's vows. She spent the whole night dancing with her friends and neighbors from Star's Hollow. But that night, all Rory could dream about were wedding bells and grooms in kilts. She was in the white dress in her dream, but Dean was not wearing the groom's kilt.

**REVIEWERS:** Be nice please, it's my first GG fanfic. Reviews are greatly appreciated, tell me what you want to see and what you liked.disliked. 

Sneak Preview for Next chapter:

She blocked out Lorelai's pointless ranting and looked all around the festival for him. By the time her eyes had found him, all that could pass through her head was the annoying tune of "Those lazy hazy crazy days of summer. Those days of soda, and pretzels, and beer". 


	2. Go Hide In The Closet

**A/N:** First chapter was about season two finale, and the second chapter is going to be based on what happened in between season two and three, and the first episode of season three _Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days_. It's mostly going to be told from Rory's point of view, because we don't know much about Jess' summer. 

**Disclaimer:** Gilmore Girls is owned by Amy Sherman Palladino, the one and only.

CHAPTER 2- Sodas, and Pretzels, and Beer

Rory awoke the next morning only to find herself thinking of the wrong boy. She couldn't shake that kiss. She could still feel it, still taste it, and still remember it, as vividly as if it were happening right now. Jess was back, in Stars Hollow. Why? He had hated it here, and had been sent off to live in New York. All of a sudden he wanted to come back to the town he referred to as hell.

New York. Rory had been there, just to see Jess. She had ditched school, missed her mom's graduation, and run away from Paris so she could go see Jess. Rory had changed everything about herself, to go see a boy who didn't love her. Could that be why he was here? To ask her more about the visit, to ask her why she changed? Rory wasn't the same, and she didn't know if she had Jess to blame for that.

As Rory crawled out of bed, she felt the cool floorboards hit her feet. They were so comforting, taking all the heat from her body. Once Rory had showered, eaten a breakfast of marshmallows and cold rice, she was ready to go to the bookstore. Books were her only sanctuary, and since Lorelai was still passed out in bed (most likely hung-over from the wedding), Rory could slip away without notice. While she slowly opened the door and stepped out the doorway she heard her mother's wailing from upstairs.

"Bad Ringing. Ringing Must Die." Lorelai screamed, obviously being woken up from her drunken headache by the phone. 

Rory ran as quickly as she could to the hallway by the stairs, grabbing the phone from its cradle. She had run from the door, her breath a bit rushed she answered.

"Hey."

"Rory Gilmore, you're being connected with Paris Gellar and Headmaster Charleston. Please hold." A young woman had answered, sounding overly scripted in her response.

"Ms. Gellar, Ms. Gilmore, do I have your attention?" Mr. Charleston was not as technologically advanced, and had always been uneasy with phones.

"Yes sir." Both girls replied, in unison. It was eerie how similar they were at times. 

"I'll make this quick, so as not to disturb your summer vacation. You have been voted in by the majority of your peers as President and Vice President of the 2003 Student Body. As you already know, the winners are awarded admission to a summer program in Washington D.C.. My secretary has already e-mailed you the travel information including your tickets. I hope you have a wonderful and enlightening summer. Good evening ladies." And with that Headmaster Charleston was gone. Rory quickly bid Paris a good afternoon and checked her e-mail. There was all of her information, as Charleston had said. It included her ticket which was scheduled for noon…TOMORROW? She had to pack, and tell her mother, and say goodbye to Jess. Say goodbye to Dean, that's what she meant, Dean.

Rory needed to clear her head and was ready to get out of the house. She pulled her suitcase out of the closet, threw it one her bed, and walked out of the back door. She took a route through the trees and over the bridge. Once she got into the book shop, she ran into the back and dove directly into a section she'd never even browsed. Rory was in the romance section. 

Rory had always thought romance novels were stereotypical and fake. She knew this and yet she needed to read one. She needed a great mind to tell her what was right. After purchasing one terrible romance novel, and a fourth copy of _Youth_ by Vladislav Khodasevish, Rory pulled the cove of _Youth_ onto her terrible love story and walked out of the store. As she shoved the actual book in her bag, Rory began to dive her nose into the trashy romance novel when all of a sudden…

"Rory!"" Dean nearly yelled. He was walking down from Doose's, most likely just getting off from work. He began to half run towards her, and enraptured her in the biggest hug ever. 

"Paris called my phone again. She said that she's kidnapping you to Washington D.C. She's lying right? You're not going to spend six weeks away are you?" Dean was speaking so fast, and without taking any breaths. Rory stepped back away from him, and looked into his depressed eyes. 

"Dean, I am going. I don't want to leave you, but this is probably one of the most important things for my Harvard application. Time in Washington will help me look into my future. Please understand me." Rory felt guilty for lying to Dean. She did want to go to D.C., and partly to get away from him. Rory needed to get out of Star's Hollow and think about what had happened. This was her opportunity to figure it out.

Dean looked back into Rory's eyes, hugged her tight, and smiled. Dean walked back towards his house. Rory hadn't anticipated seeing Dean, and it had thrown off her entire thinking schedule. She needed a quiet and serene place, where it was just her, her book, and the world. The lake.

Rory walked to the lake slowly. She didn't want to draw attention to herself, and with her nose in a book, she gave off the impression that she didn't want people in her business. She had the rest of the day to think.

It had been six weeks since Sookie's wedding. Six weeks since she'd been to Luke's, home, or with Dean. Most significantly, it had been six weeks since she had kissed Jess. After listening to Paris' incessant ramblings on her debates, and meetings with senators, Rory had finally given into relaxation. She lies on her bed, with two piles.

One pile is comprised of over thirty letters, neatly stacked with the envelopes still in tact. Some are pages long and some are just a few scribbled lines. Each one is signed the same _Love, Dean_. 

The second pile was much less tidy. Rory had written nearly as many letters as Dean. All of these letters were crumpled and tossed all over the bed. Some had been ripped and some were scribbled with ink. Rory sat in front of this pile with one fresh sheet of paper. On this one piece of paper were two small words. Two words that had such an impact, she couldn't follow them up. _Dear Jess_. Rory had written and rewritten dozens of letters to Jess but hadn't felt that a single one was even adequate. There weren't words for what she needed to tell him. 

How many times could a person rewrite a letter? So far Rory had written at least one draft a night, throwing most of them in the trash, or the hotel pool, or in once scenario down the toilet. Each letter said something to a completely different effect, which was her biggest issue. What was she supposed to say to Jess "Hey, I've had a crush on you since we met, but I think I'm supposed to love my boyfriend of over a year." This was a problem. 

"My plane gets in at 3." Rory said absentmindedly, watching Paris scurry around their room like a Emily did when looking for Trix's old gifts. 

"I'm in at six" Dean replied, with a certain longing in his voice. It had been over a month and a half since he had seen Rory, and he felt lonely and deprived.

"Red, Purple, Green…" Paris was frantically searching for her clothes. Her first date with Jamie was within a matter of moments and Paris was anything but composed.

"Where the hell is it?" She was storming through their room, looking anywhere possible for the matching sweater that she had picked out hours ago. 

"That gives me three hours to look presentable. Hmm… perhaps I'll go blonde." Rory joked to break the ever so obvious tension on the phone. She had spoken to Dean every night since she had left, but sometimes they only spoke momentarily, sharing quick _I love you_'s. 

"I strongly request that you don't." Dean was multitasking while talking to Rory, watching the football game as well. He had the Gilmore girls for quite some time and their jokes became a part of standard conversation.

"Afraid of change?" She taunted, knowing that Dean was conservative and not ready to live on the edge. Some men she liked were incredibly dangerous, thriving off of the edge.

"No, I just like what I have." He had a way of complementing her even when she poked fun at him. Even if Dean wasn't the sharpest tack in the box, he sure knew how to make a girl feel wanted.

"I like a man who settles." Rory said, knowing that this wasn't true. Rory was an intelligent girl who needed to be challenged. Some people just couldn't entertain her for long (it was the reason she and Paris actually could get along at times). 

"I miss you." Dean finally got to the point of his call. He had been thinking of her night and day, and refused to enjoy his trip at his grandparents' house. He had so much on his mind. Rory had been acting differently and being Dean, he just hadn't been able to decipher what that was.

"I miss you too." She replied, in an almost perfunctory manner. She had endured these phone calls for weeks and at the moment, she was more interested in Paris' love life than her own relationship with Dean.

"Hey! Hey, stop being cute. I need help here." Paris interrupted Rory's conversation, pulling on her own hair to relieve her stress. She was still bouncing back and forth across the room looking for that sweater.

"I have to go. Paris is melting down." Rory sounded a bit too enthusiastic about getting off of the phone with Dean. She knew she had spoken too quickly and felt bad about the discomfort she was causing.

"Why?" Dean knew of Paris and had spent minimal time with her, but knew there was always a different reason for Paris' freak-outs.

"She has a date tonight" she replied, thinking about the response she would get. No one would ever expect Paris to date, especially when away from home in a strange place she had never been to. 

"Really?" Dean said a bit too loudly before…

"Don't sound so surprised" Paris retorted towards the phone, hearing Dean's reply. Paris had never been the kind of girl who tolerated this sort of behavior, and dating wasn't going to change the way Paris was. 

"How do you know he sounded surprised?" Rory leaned back asking her. Paris had always had a super sense, one that not even the smartest girls at Chilton could figure out.

"Because I'm a genius Rory. I have deep and powerful clairvoyant abilities." Paris' sarcasm ceased to amaze those in her midst.

"Oh boy." Rory replied somewhat to herself, Dean, and Paris.

"For example, I can instantly deduce that when someone hears the name Paris in the same sentence as the word date, jaws will drop, confused looks will cover faces, words like _how_ and _why _and _Quick Bob, get the children in the minivan cause the world is obviously coming to an end_ will immediately fly out of people's mouths." Paris' rants were always entertaining and it amazed Rory that even Paris could be so considered by what a silly boy said. Maybe dating had changed her.

Rory closed her conversation with Dean, knowing that Paris' responses would only get harsher and louder, and she didn't need that kind of stress before a first date. Unnoticed and provoked by Paris was Rory's lack of _I love you_ to Dean. Paris' mutterings had thrown off Rory's train of thought, subconsciously forgetting the most important part of the conversation. 

Within seconds of hanging up the phone, Rory flew to the other side of the room, trying to help Paris with her hair, make-up, and wardrobe, all which of Rory thought were fine, while Paris whole heartedly disagreed. As Rory tried to calm Paris she heard mumblings of _zagats_ and _winging it_. Paris was far too scared and Rory had no idea on how to subdue her. 

"I can't date. I'm not genetically set up for it. I get no pleasure out of the prospect or preparation. I've showered four times; I'm covered in hives. And for what? Some guy who doesn't have the brains to buy a zagat so we don't end up in a restaurant that is just a front for a cocaine laundering ring?" Paris was seriously freaking out! She was speaking at record Gilmore speed and was barely coherent. She was turning red and you could see the stress pouring from her mouth. 

After lightly applying some blush and eye-shadow, and listening to Paris' fake reasons for why a boy would ask her out, Rory attempted explaining how you know if someone is right for someone. 

"Someone who likes what you like. And who reads the same books, or listens to the same music, or likes to trash the same movies. Someone compatible." Rory didn't really listen to herself telling Paris this. It seemed as though she gave some of the best advice but couldn't take her own advice. Dean had never really found pleasure in reading, which was probably Rory's greatest passion. His music taste was small and anything but diverse, and he went along with whatever movies Lorelai and Rory put on. 

Rory thought back to that sleigh ride with Jess so long ago. Jess had known that Lorelai and Rory's snowwoman was modeled after Bjork, and interestingly enough he knew who Bjork was. 

"Hey, what do you and Dean talk about?" Jess questioned. He sounded so curious, and sincere. Jess never really asked, he just acted as though he was tough and shielded out all things he didn't understand.

"What?" Rory had been thrown by the question. Why in god's name would Jess care about Dean and Rory's relationship now looking back on this moment she knew. She probably always knew Jess liked her,

"Does he know Bjork?" Jess had noticed Rory's amusement in his knowledge of Bjork, and thought that maybe her tall oaf of a boyfriend wasn't as rounded.

"I've played him some stuff" Rory was modest and covering for her devoted sweetheart. She was quick to defend him and did a decent job doing so. 

"Hmmm… So you got a teacher student thing going?" Jess was getting smug. It didn't take much when Dean was the topic of conversation. Jess had never really heard much of Dean that intimidated him, besides his size, and this made him feel a bit more confident. 

"Stop." She added, half jokingly, half serious. She didn't know whether she should be laughing or defending the boy who had so graciously taken care of her for the past year.

"No. Really, I'm curious. What do you guys talk about?" He wasn't joking at this point. It seemed at this point that he had never experienced a real relationship. This is when Rory knew, knew that Jess had never really dated. He surely hadn't spilled his heart out to some girl, and didn't know what couples were supposed to talk about.

"Everything" was her immediate response, not really knowing what to say. She and Dean had become good friends, but it was hard to deny that they were on different intellectual levels. 

"Like….?" He was provoking her and she didn't like it. Jess had a way of making Rory feel incredibly uneasy. His questions always seemed to dig into her real thoughts and no one had ever had the courage to be so nosey around her.

"Everything. Tons of stuff. Whatever." Rory had no actual response. She and Dean didn't have tons to talk about now that she thought about it. They went to different schools, had different hobbies, and different lives. They didn't really match.

"Just in the brief non-feudalistic time I've spent with him in class, he just doesn't seem like your kind of guy." Jess was stabbing at Rory's heart. He was pulling at the truth, trying to pull it out of her. Rory had realized that Dean wasn't her kind of guy within the past few months, she just hadn't figured out who was. Until she did figure it out, she planned on using Dean as a safety net and comparison. Her intentions were good, but somehow Jess had made her feel bad about it.

"Well he is my kind of guy. He's exactly my kind of guy." Rory put her guard up, now feeling like her mind was being violated and delved into. Jess seemed to know everything about her without even knowing her, She wasn't necessarily protecting Dean, but herself and her own choices.

"Okay, guess I don't know him that well." Jess knew he was prying and decided he should back off before he caused Rory any more worry. He had only wanted to know for his own learning purposes, but had realized that this was not going to help him on the Rory front.

"But not so compatible that they're boring." Rory stated, making sure Paris didn't fall in love with her evil male twin brother. She also was afraid that if Paris were to be with someone exactly like herself, the world would probably implode.

"Someone who's compatible, but not compatible?" Paris wasn't really grasping the concept, but no one could blame her, she'd never really dated before.

"Yeah, kind of. You respect each other's opinions and you can laugh at the same jokes but I don't know there's just something about not knowing what the other person is gonna do at all times that is just really exciting." Rory was honestly thinking about Jess this entire time. She felt guilty, and you were not supposed to feel guilty when comforting a friend. She had been brushing Paris' hair and was day dreaming about the local bad boy. What a sarcastic, smart, attractive bad boy he was…..

"Look just have a good time. You'll figure it out!" Rory spat it out and wanted to get off the subject before her draw dropped and she began drooling. Jess did something to her, even when she was just thinking about him. 

"Yeah. I hope I figure it out fast, before I throw up." Paris seemed finally calmed down, or she had given up before the date had even started. 

After reassuring Paris that she looked gorgeous and that her hair was fine, Rory felt a sense of pride. She had cooled Paris down to a semi-normal person, at least she thought she had.

"Now, go hide in the closet." Paris said this as if it were the most normal request, like asking for a friend to pick up your laundry, or telling a kid to make their bed. Paris' sense of normal was beyond abnormal.

"What?" This was the only thought that could come to Rory's mind. She had gone from thinking about Jess to being told to climb in closets.

"If he comes in here and sees you he won't want to date me anymore." Paris stated this bluntly, but you could see in her eyes that she was actually scared. Rory had dated and was obviously more experienced; Paris must have thought this meant competition.

"Paris, that's crazy. He's seen me, he's seen me for weeks." Rory looked at Paris as if she was trying to sell her drugs. This was such an absurd thing for her to say.

"Yes in conferences, crowded lecture halls, and badly lit banquet rooms with crappy food smells, but not at night, when it's dating time and he's thinking about dating and you're standing there looking all datable." Paris looked so genuinely concerned. Rory found it shocking that Paris would consider her datable, but as we all know, Paris' views on the dating world were a bit skewed. 

"I'm not looking datable" Rory tried to pull this off as true, but even in her relaxation clothes she looked adorable, and Paris made a good argument.

"Please! I can't risk it. At least if there's nothing to compare me to then I've got a fighting chance. Please!" Paris really wanted this boy to like her, and Rory wanted Jamie and Paris to work out. If Rory had to sit in a closet for a while so that Paris could be happy, then so be it.

"Ok, but when you get home you need to get a new therapist because the one you have is really not working" Rory muttered most of this under her breath as she grabbed a flashlight and binder with paper, heading into the closet, where she would wait for Paris to disappear.

Rory had found the idea completely stupid and ignorant before she sat down on the floor. There was something about that closet that helped her clear her head. The smell was of dry-cleaned clothes and fresh carpets. It was dark and small, but cozy enough that she could lean on a jacket behind her. She pointed her flashlight at her binder and wrote. 

This had been the best writing experience she had had all summer. Rory sat in there for hours; no one actually knows how long she stayed in there. She used the rest of the paper that she had, which was around ten or so pages. Rory being the genius person she was had it very well worded, but Rory also being the young woman she was had poured her heart and soul into that letter. 

In the smallest nutshell, she told Jess that he was different from anyone she knew. Jess had made her giggle like a little girl on her first pony ride, he made her think about things she never would have thought about before, and he had gotten her into loads of trouble. Jess had made her life exhilarating, but that didn't mean she was in a position to date him. She had been with Dean and everyone in town was accustomed to her and Dean.

The ending of the letter asked questions, which she knew Jess hated. It was necessary, and she drowned on for nearly a page front and back asking about his feelings and his life and if he would ever really be interested in her. Rory had finished the letter in her tiniest cursive scrawl, folding it perfectly and placing it in the last envelope she had. On that she wrote _Jess_ in neat loopy writing. She planned on giving it to him when she got back, maybe slipping it under his tip at Luke's.

Rory had been home for less than an hour when she had already changed into her black floral dress, and was heading through some incredibly prickly bushes on her way to the End Of Summer Madness Festival. After trying to pick up Sookie and Jackson, Lorelai and Rory headed to the festival by themselves. While discussing what order they would eat their food on a stick, Lorelai ran into Taylor and took the chance to poke fun at the festival. 

She blocked out Lorelai's pointless ranting and looked all around the festival for him. By the time her eyes had found him, all that could pass through her head was the annoying tune of "Those lazy hazy crazy days of summer, those days of soda, and pretzels, and beer". She'd turned around and Jess was pressed up against some tree with a bleach blonde girl plastered to his face. Her clothes barely fit, and she looked as if she was wearing children's shirt and hairstyle. She had thrown her grimy little hands around his neck, and it sickened Rory.

Rory couldn't help but stare as his perfect arms allowed his hands to go into her back jean pockets. Jess wasn't waiting for her or waiting tables at Luke's. He was a girl who didn't seem to be waiting for anything. She didn't know what was going through her mind, but Lorelai quickly made sure she had something else to occupy her mind.

After getting into a fight with Lorelai about her intentions with Dean, and then spending the rest of the evening with Dean, Rory went home, got in her bed, and thought. She tried to sit up on her pillows and organize everything in her mind, but it just didn't work. She had no idea how to manage the thoughts of Dean and Jess. Nothing could clear her mind.

Her last resort seemed necessary. Rory thought back on when she could think. She slipped her slippers on; she crawled into her closet and allowed the smell of clean clothes to consumer her.

**Reviewers:** Sorry this chapter was so long but I just couldn't stop. I hope you enjoy and I am really hoping you didn't think that any of the quotes were too long. I only took 200 words or so from the show, and this chapter is far longer than that. Hope you enjoyed, and please review!


	3. A Nice Fruit Basket?

A/N: I have come back

**A/N:** I have come back. School was over and I got wrapped up in sleeping till 3 in the afternoon. Now with exactly two weeks of summer left, I realized that I had left my stories behind me. Allow me to apologize to anyone who wanted an update. But on these last fourteen days, I hope to write one chapter a day.

Also, this chapter takes place in Season 3 Episode 2, better known to Gilmore Girls fans as The Haunted Leg.

Chapter 3- How About A Nice Fruit Basket?

Rory started her day earlier than she wanted to, but the thoughts gnawing at her insides refused to let her sleep past five this morning. She unpacked all of her bags from Washington and reorganized the refrigerator (in order geographical order for all of the takeout food). Once Rory had done this and a few other odd jobs around her house, she woke her mother up at seven thirty begging her to find some way to entertain her. Lorelai made funny faces and dances to annoy Rory, but they weren't half as amusing as her complaints about the common cold she was suffering.

Lorelai got frustrated after thirty minutes of dancing, she asked Rory about her Washington trip. Rory gave perfunctory responses to all of the questions, but didn't want to tell her mother that she had actually spent six weeks in Washington D.C. pondering the many ways to talk to Jess. She had never been the type of girl to dilly dally, wasting good thinking time with pointless thoughts about boys. Since Rory had been gone for what seemed like a decade, she really wanted a hearty breakfast from Luke.

By ten thirty, the Gilmores had arrived at Luke's where Lorelai continued her rant against the world and its cruel torture, better known as the cold. Rory looked around the diner, glad that all of the town regulars were at their normal breakfast place, meaning not much had happened since she left. What kept grabbing her eye was the young man working behind the counter.

He had really come back. Jess Mariano was working at Luke's, which meant he was either living in Stars Hollow again or making a very long commute. Though he wasn't doing much serving, or taking orders, or any work for that matter, Jess was standing behind the counter. He was a symbol of Rory's weakness and showed her that she really did have to face the decision that had been haunting her for the past month and a half. The blonde girl from the festival entered the diner, just in time to thwart Rory's train of thought.

"Hey" was all the bottle blonde said to Jess, bending over the counter like a cheap escort girl. Rory was befuddled already. This girl had shown no proof of any intelligence and Jess was a boy with a full vocabulary. How could he stand listening to this girl? What he did next surprised Rory even more.

"Hey" Jess replied, barely looking away from his book. It was so unlike him to refrain from using some witty come back. Maybe the blonde didn't understand wit and sarcasm. Maybe she was some sort of pity case that Jess had taken under his arm, or his lips. Jess and the blonde without a dictionary stretched across the counter for a tacky, out of place kiss. His Jess-ness made him turn back to the book he had been reading during work time.

"So…" the blonde looked questioningly at Jess, wondering why his book received more attention that she did.

"One sec." Jess said, engulfed in his novel and not wanting to be interrupted by the girl, who was most likely his girlfriend.

"Jess" she whined at him, pulling him out of the fictional world of books.

"Relax" he commanded her, before turning towards the counter "I'm out" he called to Luke. The girl simply smiled at him and the couple left the diner after one of the must unintelligible conversations to be had in Luke's diner.

Rory was brought back to the real world when Dean came to their breakfast table. His tall figure towered above them, yet there was nothing intimidating about Dean Forrester.

"Please don't kill me, but I already ate breakfast" he said, just wanting Rory to look at him with the same intensity that she gazed at Jess with.

Rory could see it in Dean's eyes. She wanted the same thing he did. All that Rory needed was to find herself content with Dean. She didn't need this constant teasing from her mind. Rory wanted to be perfectly happy with Dean, and she wanted to want him they way she wanted Jess. She just didn't have the same passion for him that she did in the Stars Hollow High hallways that she did two years ago.

The day went on, and so did the next. It was around nine on Sunday night that Rory decided to walk around Stars Hollow. She needed to think and the emptiness of her house was unnerving at the moment. She mindlessly wandered for quite some time, until she realized exactly where she needed to go. Her tight walk quickly became a fast paced run to one place. She needed to get there so badly that she didn't care how she looked, her legs flying behind her as she ran towards the edge of the lake.

It had been exactly seven weeks since she kissed Jess at this very spot. As soon as she stood there, behind the old tool shed of the Independence Inn, she felt a pang in her heart. This was what Rory was scared of. She had no control of the feeling that took over her when she thought about that kiss. It was only one small moment, not even an entire minute, that she had worried over for hours and hours on end. The feeling of Jess's hands on her face had sent shockwaves through her body then, and even when she tried to forget it she felt that burning feeling in her.

It all but confirmed her thoughts. Rory had been waiting and searching for a way to prove to herself that she felt nothing but lust for Jess. She was trying so hard to convince herself that her hormones were driving her to the bad boy, that all that estrogen whirring around her body pushed her towards him. She fell to the ground, her butt making a soft thump on the ground. She let herself slide down the hill a bit, going towards the lake. It seemed so peaceful, but the small tide ran around her toes like her feelings ran around her mind. Nothing was peaceful and now was not the time to overload herself. That's when Rory remembered that she started her Senior year at Chilton the next morning. She went home, just happy she found a topic to distract her.

The week had been busy. On her first day of school, her mother had frightened her beyond reason, just staring at her waiting for her to wake up. After a day of searching for the best routes between several AP classes, Rory had to make a speech in front of the whole school at her Student Body Induction Ceremony. After a tiring Friday night dinner at the Gilmore household, Rory and Lorelai still found themselves hungry for soup and chocolate.

As they headed towards Doose's Market for a feast that would require a "Vomitorium" to be built after its consumption, Lorelai was stopped by Kirk who wanted to ask some follow up questions on his pending date with Lorelai. Rory knew that her mother was struggling with a way to gently let down the man who worked at every business in town, so when she was told to go start the shopping alone, she was willing to avoid the awkward conversation about to take place.

She walked up and down the aisles, picking up boxes and cans of processed food. She had nearly filled her basket on the second aisle, but was abruptly interrupted by the town bad boy.

"Doing a little shopping?" He always questioned the obvious around her, knowing that it only pestered her while she was trying to focus on anything but him.

"Yes. Excuse me." She all but pushed Jess out of her way, wanting to avoid the bound to be rude confrontation between the two.

"Why the cold shoulder?" Jess mocked her as he used his arm to block her way around the store.

"No cold shoulder, I just have perishables here" Rory was a terrible liar but hoped that an ounce of sarcasm rang through her voice. She never seemed to be the genius that she really was around him. She lost that part of her brain that formed decent rebuttals.

"Oh yeah. You wanna get home before that beeferoni gets bad." Rory envied Jess. He always had comebacks that made her back away, feeling inferior.

"My mom's waiting for me." She needed any excuse to get away from him. She could feel her body heating and tensing up, as it always did around him.

"How was Washington?" Jess's questioning would go on forever if Rory gave a real response.

"Fine." It wasn't fine. Rory wasted precious time that she could have been wandering around her nation's capital worrying about the boy who taunted her.

"Do anything interesting?" Jess was going to continue the questioning until he could get her where he wanted her. He needed her to tell him the truth.

"Nope." Of course Rory hadn't done anything interesting because Jess flooded her thoughts during every waking moment.

"Cool." He walked closer to her, physically begging for her to keep the conversation moving.

"What about you?" She was now on the same track as Jess, just trying to get him to fess up his feelings.

"What about me?" Jess was always the smart ass and wasn't going to let Rory Gilmore steal his tactics.

"Anything interesting happen, this summer I mean?" Rory was determined to get her answer, to learn about the bottle blonde.

"Nope." Now he was giving one word answers again, knowing that it bothered Rory.

"Really?" She wasn't letting this question go, not yet.

"Really." He was being stand offish, on the outside. Honestly, Jess got a big boost of pride when Rory felt the pressing need to know things about him. The girl he fancied wanted to know about him and that just made him act all the more smug.

"So nothing happened this summer, at all?" She was pressing him harder, feeling that terrible feeling in her guy. Rory had conflicting feelings in her stomach about arguing with Jess. She was always so upset with him when it happened, but it also made her blood rise in more ways than that. The fact that Jess could intellectually challenge her gave her a great feeling.

"It was hot. Two weeks ago there was a shortage of snow cones. The machine broke, people went crazy, Taylor tried to call in the National Guard, but…" He was making up nonsense stories as he always could. Boys who read too much fiction had that capability.

"I'm not talking about snow cones." She was blunt. Maybe she didn't need to ask questions, but find another way to get it out!

"What are you talking about then?" He wasn't going to let her avoid the subject. If she wanted to know about him, she had to be frank. He wanted her to show genuine interest.

"Nothing." She had been defeated. Rory wasn't going to play into his hand, she had too much pride. Similar to a certain boy standing in front of her.

"Her name is Shane." He saw the look of loss in her face, so he thought if her rubbed it in a little, he could benefit. If he continued their conversation, he gained valuable moments of watching Rory. He loved the way she got all flustered when they debated.

"As in come back?" Her sarcasm finally rang through the air, the effect she had desired all night.

"Yep." Push her. That's all he could think. Make her break in front of you!

"That's great. Really great. Really." She was stumbling on her own words, a definite sign of weakness. She was losing the cool she had finally gained.

"Yeah I've heard." It hurt him a bit, watching her fall apart like this. He was slightly regretting it, but maybe she would finally own up to her own feelings.

"Well it is." She didn't want to admit that seeing him with some other girl ripped her heart out.

"Are you upset about something?" He wanted to know how she felt about it, but let his smart ass tone ring through his question.

"No." She could feel her conscious screaming _Let it out! Tell him you love him!_

"I mean me and Shane." He wanted Rory to admit it. He saw her eyes screaming, but he wanted her to actually scream at him.

"What about you and Shane?" It was amazing how their minds thought the same things. Rory knew Jess wanted to say something, but he wanted her to go first. She was going to fight back!

"I dono it didn't exactly bring a smile to your face." That was an understatement. Less than a smile, he could see her fear in her eyes. Rory Gilmore hated being pushed around by some guy and Jess was crossing the line.

"Well I'm still freaked out about the snow cone machine." _Atta girl Rory, use those wits. Make him say it._

"Ok." Using his wonderful monosyllabic powers, Jess managed to get Rory to turn a shade darker, her blush crawling to her ears.

"I could care less about you and Shane." It was a lie. Jess broke her heart everytime he flaunted the ditz around her town.

"Good." _No, not good. Why won't she just say it. She's upset, she has to be._

"It just surprised me, that's all." It slipped. She didn't mean to say it, she had wanted Jess to go first.

"Why?" He had her where he wanted her, now all that was left was to squeeze her until she popped.

"Because." _No Rory, don't play into his hands._

"Because why?" _Just keep going, she has to crack eventually._

"Because of what happened at Sookie's wedding." It took her a moment to get over that all consuming feeling. She felt the kiss again, his lips hot on hers and his callused hands on her cheeks.

"Ohhhhh." He loved pretending it didn't happen. She kissed him and she needed to ask him about it. He didn't start this.

"So me coming back here and seeing you with Shane just kinda threw me for a sec." the words came out of her mouth quicker than she could think about them.

"I'm sorry did I hear from you at all this summer. Did I just happen to miss all the phone calls you made to me or did the postman lose all the letters you wrote to me? You kiss me. You tell me not to say anything , very flattering by the way. You go off to Washington then nothing. Then you come back here all put out because I didn't sit around and wait for you like Dean would have done. And yeah what about dean, are you still with him, because the last time I checked you were. And I haven't heard anything to the contrary. Plus the two of you walking around together like some damn Andy Hardy movie, seemed to me like you were still pretty together. I half expected you to walk into a bar and put on a show." He ranted and regretted it all. He had actually told her what he felt. Jess had been incredibly upset that she hadn't made any contact with him after he came back to this insane town just to be with her.

"When did you see me with Dean?" less concerned with her lack of communication, but about where he could have seen them together. She hated the idea of them being in the same area, Dean and Jess. It just brought the idea of her having to choose between them back into her head.

"At that stupid summer insanity plea the town put on." His voice lacked the enthusiasm it had before. He didn't want her to know that he had been watching her that entire day.

"I'm surprised you could see anything with Shane's head plastered to your face." Rory got her wit back and was happy to see him receding from his verbal attack on her.

"You didn't' answer me." He just wanted that. Jess was a simple boy, all he wanted was for Rory to be honest.

"About what?" Had he asked a question? She didn't even remember, she was still stuck on choosing between the boys.

"Did you call me at all?" Now Jess would just be honest with her.

"No". She wanted to, but what if Luke had picked up. It would have been awkward, explaining to Luke how she even knew that Jess was back.

"Did you send me a letter?" Jess had gone through the mail everyday, hoping to get a simple _I Love You_ letter from her.

"No." She couldn't tell him about the thousands of drafts she had written. She tried to tell him everything but she wasn't gutsy enough.

"Postcard?" How nice it would have been to get a White House postcard from her.

"No." Why would she send a postcard, they were tacky and had little room to explain real feelings on them.

"Smoke signal?" The sarcasm was rising in his throat again. He wanted to make her admit that she did nothing to prove she liked him.

"Stop!" She couldn't handle his incessant prodding.

"A nice fruit basket?" He stood up straighter, letting his arrogance emanate through the market.

"Enough!" She wouldn't allow him to push her around like this.

"Are you still with Dean? Come on Rory, yes or no. Are you still with Dean?" He needed to get her to admit it. She made no advances towards a relationship with Jess.

"Yes I'm still with Dean. Yes." She was letting him walk all over her.

"Glad to hear it." He was anything but glad. That big oaf didn't know how to entertain Rory worth a damn.

"Glad to tell you." She realized that they argued like an old married couple.

"See you around." Jess had to get out of this market before he became vulnerable in front of her.

"Whatever." She didn't need this. She had a boyfriend and a life, Rory did not need Jess's taunting.

"Right back at you." He walked out, needing to go to the lake, the only place he was safe.

Rory was flushed and felt the need to eat large amounts of Mallow-Mars. Jess got her all lost and confused. She checked out as quickly as possible, wanting her mother to entertain her and get this terrible conversation out of her mind.

"Oh I was just gonna come in after you. You all done?" Lorelai looked very serene for someone who had just turned down a kind crazy man.

"Oh yeah, I'm done." Rory said it as if she really were done with Jess. Little did she know it was just starting.

**A/N:** Alright. I've been sitting her typing and realized that I do need to improve the thoughts behind the dialogue, but I just hate putting script. I feel like there needs to be some emotion behind words. Though this seemed a bit repetitive and redundant (one of my face GG moments) I would still love reviews. Oh and from now on, I plan to put the number of words from the script over the total word count just to give people an idea.

Words from script.

480/3150


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